Personal Branding: Tips from a Micro-Influencer
Emily Morris & Adis Santoyo
“Personal brand is like a platter where you put forward an intentional perception of yourself.”
How do I build my personal brand online? That’s the question that’s been lingering in my mind as I’ve been spending more time on social media and applying to internships. However, trying to build or develop your personal brand can often be challenging as we’re bombarded with new trends, aesthetics, and ideas on social media everyday.
Whenever I do have personal branding questions, especially social media ones, I always ask my friend Adis. Adis is a “micro-influencer,” and she has 22,000 followers on instagram and sponsorships with brands like GoPuff and Express. Even if you don’t want to be an influencer, she is the perfect person to ask questions about branding yourself online.
Below is my interview with her. I asked her for advice and tips related to personal branding online. Here is what she had to say:
<> Get Organized <>
What’s the first piece of advice you’d give to someone trying to improve their personal brand?
You have to get organized and find a schedule that works for you. If you have structure in your profiles on any platform, it makes all your content look so much better. Bullet journaling is a great way to get organized because when you write something down, you’re so much more likely to actually do it.
What do you use to make your Instagram profile look more professional and cohesive?
I actually use a bunch of apps to make my layout look more put together, and to make sure I’m posting content in the correct order. However, I think just establishing what you want your page to look like, your “aesthetic,” that helps so much too. If you want to follow trends, do that. But if you don’t, then don’t! Think about choosing content like picking paint swatches at Home Depot. Keep everything tailored to you. Consistent themes do make everything more organized, but it’s really difficult to achieve. I would also add that finding accounts to use as frames of reference can help you start developing the “look” of your content and profile.
Any tips for LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is tricky, but I usually end up looking at a lot of other profiles for inspiration. If you’re stuck on what you should or what you shouldn’t add to your profile, looking at others will help a lot. Don’t copy peoples’ profiles though!!
<> Invest In Yourself <>
What’s another piece of advice when it comes to creating your personal brand?
I think people often forget that you have to invest in yourself. I would advise people to find and research their interests. Take classes related to your interests, or follow accounts that are related to that interest. Just by going to college you’re already investing in yourself. If you’re able to, I would also take classes in creative arts that reflect what you want to do in your personal brand. The marketing class I took last semester has helped me a lot in terms of studying trends, experimenting with content, increasing engagement, and learning about key terms.
If you like social media and want to pursue it further, Google has a great seminar all centered around personal branding and increasing social media presence.
<> Contacts<>
What’s been the most important thing you’ve done in college to help polish your personal brand?
Contacts in class help so much. Even if someone isn’t in your industry or area of interest, connect with them. Everyone works together eventually. Connect with professors, speakers that are brought into class, and your classmates. I would definitely suggest going to events and panels. Make yourself known in order to make a new contact.
<> Be Authentic <>
What's the most important thing to be conscious of when it comes to establishing or improving your personal brand?
Being authentic to your personal brand is by far the most important thing to do. Like I said earlier, if you like following feed aesthetics do that, but everyone is doing the same thing. If that’s your thing, go for it! If not, you don’t want to regret something like that. Personal brand is like a platter where you put forward an intentional perception of yourself.
<> Consequences<>
When people think about personal brand, what is something they often forget about?
I think people often forget that everything you do or post on social media ultimately has consequences. You have to remember the consequences of everything you do. We’re in the digital age now, and everything stays on the internet forever. Hold yourself with character and follow social etiquette online. I also feel like there is a generational gap when it comes to understanding social media. People that are twice or even three times my age may view my content differently than say someone ten years older than me. Just be wary of generational differences and know the line.
Thank you Adis for collaborating with me, and check her out on Instagram @iamadisantoyo
Here are the apps she uses to help manage her content → Procreate, PLANOLY, UNUM, Tezza, Adobe Lightroom